JP2001235839A - Film unit with lens - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the unauthorized reuse of a data imprinting device. SOLUTION: An aperture part 23 is formed on a front cover 20. A negative side armature is provided on the side wall of a battery holder part 57a formed in the module case 57 of a date module 45 and a positive side armature 60 is provided at the center part thereof. The armature 60 is bent and holds specified elastic force. At the time of assembly, a module battery 58 is attached from the aperture part 23, and the aperture part 23 is covered with a cover member 24 and then a label is stuck thereto. When the label is peeled or the cover 20 is detached from a main body base part, the battery 58 is detached from the module 45 by the elastic force of the armature 60 and the display of an LCD 55 is made ineffective.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film unit with a lens having a built-in data imprinting device for imprinting data on a photographic film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A film unit with a lens is generally used widely because an unexposed photographic film is pre-loaded in a unit body having a built-in simple photographing mechanism and is inexpensive and easy to use. After the photographing, the film unit with the lens is put out together with the unit body to a developing station, where a developing process and a printing process are performed. Used units are collected by the manufacturer for reuse, inspected,
Adjustment and film loading are performed, and the product is shipped again.

For example, a strobe device or an exposure device incorporated in a film unit with a lens is subjected to a function test after being collected by a manufacturer, and is reused without any abnormality if no abnormality is found. Further, the front and rear covers are crushed and melted without being reused, and are reused as raw materials. In particular, since the rear cover and the like are parts that come into direct contact with the photographic film, even a slight damage may damage the photographic film and affect the photographic image.

An attempt has been made to incorporate a data imprinting device into a film unit with a lens so as to imprint data such as a photographing date on a photographic film. Such a film unit with a lens has been proposed by the present applicant. (For example, Japanese Patent Application No. 9-141249).

For example, a data imprinting device for imprinting a photographing date includes a clock circuit for measuring the current date, a liquid crystal display for displaying the date clocked by the clock circuit,
It is composed of a battery or the like as a power supply. Such a data imprinting device is relatively expensive, but if the used unit body containing the data imprinting device is recovered and the data imprinting device can be reused, substantial manufacturing costs will be realized. Can be reduced, and the price of the lens-fitted film unit can be kept low.

[0006]

Recently, a third party other than the manufacturer of the film unit with the lens collects the used unit body and reloads and sells a new photographic film cartridge as it is. I have.
As described above, if the data imprinting device is taken out of the unit main body by an unauthorized collection of the unit main body by a third party, the manufacturing cost of the lens-equipped film unit incorporating the data imprinting device is increased, and the lens-equipped film is increased. Units cannot be sold cheaply. Also, if a new film cartridge is loaded and sold without performing proper quality inspection on the unit body and data imprinting device, there is a possibility that inconveniences such as data not being imprinted may occur. This lowers the reliability of the film unit with the lens for the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and has a simple and inexpensive configuration and a lens-equipped film incorporating a data imprinting device that prevents unauthorized use of the data imprinting device. The purpose is to provide a unit.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a film unit with a lens according to the present invention has a built-in data imprinting device for displaying data imprinted on a photographic film by power supply from a battery. A unit body pre-loaded with a photographic film is covered with a front cover and a rear cover, and the outside thereof is covered with an outer packaging material. An opening for exposing the battery is formed in the front cover. The battery is held at a predetermined loading position by covering the battery with the packaging material so as to cover the battery, and the battery is taken out through the opening together with the removal of the packaging material so that power supply to the data imprinting device is cut off. It was done. Further, an opening for exposing the battery is formed in the front cover, a cover member is covered so as to cover the opening, and the packaging material is covered thereover to hold the battery in a predetermined loading position. The power supply to the data imprinting device is cut off by removing the cover member and removing the battery through the opening together with the removal of the material.

In the film unit with the lens, the battery is held at the loading position against the elastic force of the metal contact piece for pressing the battery toward the opening by the tension of the packaging material, and the packaging material is removed. In this case, it is preferable that the sheet is discharged through the opening by receiving the elastic force of the metal contact piece.

When the wrapping material is covered, the metal contact piece is brought into contact with the battery by pressing the wrapping material, and when the wrapping material is removed, one of the battery contact pieces is pressed by the elastic force of the battery contact piece. , And the power supply to the data imprinting device is stopped.

[0011]

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a film unit with a lens incorporating a data imprinting device embodying the present invention. The film unit 2 with a lens
It is composed of a unit main body 3 and a label 4 that covers the central portion of the unit main body in a band shape.

On the front face of the unit main body 3, a photographing lens 5, an objective finder 6, a strobe light emitting section 7, a strobe charging lever 8, a light guide member 9, and a light guide changeover switch 10 are provided. On the upper surface of the unit body 3, a shutter button 11, a counter window 12 for displaying the number of remaining photographable frames, and a light guide 13 for strobe charging display are formed. Further, on the back side of the unit main body 2, a winding knob 14 and an eyepiece finder that are rotated each time one frame is shot are exposed.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the unit main body 3. The unit body 3 includes an exposure device 16 and a strobe device 1
The front cover 20 and the rear cover 21 include a main body base 19 in which the components 7 and the like are incorporated.

The front cover 20 has an objective window 20a for a finder, a photographing lens 5, a strobe light emitting unit 7, and openings 20b to 20d for exposing a strobe charging lever 8. An opening 20e formed on the upper right of the opening 20b is provided with a light guide member 9 and an opening 20f formed on the right side.
The light guide changeover switch 10 is exposed. The front cover 20 is attached to the main body base 19 to which each unit component is attached.
It is assembled so as to cover from the front. On the front surface of the front cover 20, a substantially square opening 23 is formed between the openings 20d and 20f. This opening 2
Reference numeral 3 denotes a mounting opening for the module battery 53. After the module battery 53 is mounted, the cover member 24 is covered. The lid member 24 is formed smaller than the opening 23.

The rear cover 21 covers the rear surface of the main body base 19, and forms a film passage from the film roll chamber 26 to the cartridge storage chamber 25 through the back of the aperture between itself and the main body base 19. The photographic film is stored in the cartridge loaded in the cartridge storage chamber 25 from the film roll chamber 26 through the film passage. The rear cover 21 has a bottom cover 21 at the bottom thereof.
a, 21b are formed, and these bottom lids 21a, 21b are formed.
By 1b, the bottoms of the cartridge storage chamber 25 and the film roll chamber 26 are closed light-tight. The bottom cover 21a of the cartridge storage chamber 25 is openable and closable, and also serves as a take-out cover for taking out a cartridge containing all the photographed films.

As shown in FIG. 3, a cartridge chamber 25 and a film roll chamber 26 are integrally formed on the left and right sides of the main body base 19, and an exposure device 16 and a strobe device 17 are mounted between them by nail coupling. Can be On the upper part of the cartridge chamber 25, the winding knob 14 is rotatably arranged. The hoisting knob 14 has a shaft integrally provided at a lower portion thereof engaged with a spool of a film cartridge housed in the cartridge housing chamber 25. Hoisting knob 14
Is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in the figure, whereby the photographed photo film is wound up in the cartridge.

The strobe device 17 is a unit obtained by assembling a strobe light emitting unit 7, a main capacitor 31, a battery 32, a charge switch 33, and the like on a circuit board. When the flash charging lever 8 is slid upward,
The charging switch 33 provided on the circuit board is turned on, and the main capacitor 31 is charged. In this strobe device, when a shutter mechanism is operated, a synchro switch disposed on a circuit board is turned on by a pressing piece formed on a movable shutter blade 41, and strobe light is emitted.

The exposure device 16 is mounted substantially at the center of the main body base 19. The exposure device 16 is a unit obtained by assembling a shutter mechanism, a film unwinding mechanism, a counter mechanism for displaying the number of remaining photographable frames, a finder, and the like into the dark box 40. An exposure opening 40a is provided at the center of the front surface of the dark box 40, and a date opening 40b is provided at the upper right thereof. On the front surface of the dark box 40, a shutter blade 41, a lens holder 42, a support plate 44, a date module 45, a light shielding plate 43, a light guide member 9, a strobe charging lever 8, and a light guide switch 10 are mounted in this order.

The light guide member 9 is formed by molding a transparent plastic resin, and external light incident on the surface exposed on the front side of the unit body 3 is repeatedly reflected inside the light guide member 9 to form a back surface. Fired in the direction. The LCD 55 of the date module 45 is brightly illuminated by the external light collected by the light guide member 9.

The light guide switch 10 is switched between a shielding position and an opening position. Normally, the light guide changeover switch 10
Is held in the blocking position. At this time, the tongue piece 10a provided in the light guide changeover switch 10 blocks the optical axis, and the shift of the light shielding plate 43 and the date caused by the rotation of the shutter blade 41 caused by external vibration or shock. Prevents reflection of light. An opening 1 is provided below the tongue piece 10a.
When the light guide changeover switch 10 is switched to the opening position, the opening 10b is held on the optical axis.

The light shielding plate 43 is formed of a thin metal member and is formed in a substantially J-shape. This one end is attached to a pin provided on the front surface of the lens holder 42 via an attachment shaft hole. The other end is a light shielding unit 4 that covers the front of the LCD 55.
3a. A tongue piece 43b is bent vertically near the mounting shaft hole. When the pressing operation of the shutter button 11 is performed, the tongue piece 43b is pressed by a protrusion formed below the tongue piece 43b. Thereby, the light shielding plate 43 is urged in the clockwise direction in the figure, and is elastically deformed. At this time, the light shielding portion 43a slides down to expose the front surface of the LCD 55.

The shutter blade 41 is rotatably mounted on a pin on the front surface of the main body base through a mounting shaft hole. A coil spring 50 is attached to the shutter blade 41, and the shutter blade 41 closes the exposure opening 40a by the bias of the coil spring 50. Shutter blade 41
A dating shutter member 51 for opening and closing the dating shutter opening 40b is integrally formed. The date shutter member 51 opens and closes the date opening 40b in conjunction with the swing of the shutter blade 41. Opening 40b for date
Is opened, the date light is made to enter the dark box 40. Inside the dark box 40, the projection lens 52 is
3 fixed. The date light is projected onto the photographic film via the projection lens 52. As a result, the date displayed on the date module 45 is imaged on the photographic film and optically reflected in the exposure screen.

On the front surface of the shutter blade 41, a lens holder 42 in which the taking lens 5 is incorporated is attached. On the right side of the lens holder 42, a light projecting window 42a through which date light passes is formed. A support plate 44 is attached to the right side of the lens holder 42. The support plate 44 is attached to the front surface of the circuit board of the strobe device 17. The support plate 44 has an opening on the right side to expose the charge switch 33. The date module 45 and the charging lever 8 are attached to the front surface of the support plate 44.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the date module 45. The date module 45 includes a module circuit in which data to be imprinted on the photographic film, in this example, a display circuit including an LCD 55 (liquid crystal display) for displaying a shooting date and a display control circuit, and a module board on which each component of the module circuit is mounted. 56, this module substrate 56
, A module battery 58 as a power source of a module circuit, a negative metal contact piece 59 and a positive metal piece 60 having conductivity, and the like. As the module battery 58, a small and thin button type battery is used.

The battery case 57a is formed integrally with the module case 57.
On the side wall of a, a minus contact piece 59 whose one end is connected to the module substrate 56 is exposed. The module battery 58 is disposed on the battery holder 57a such that its negative electrode surface contacts the contact surface of the negative contact piece 59. A plus-side contact piece 60 is provided at the center of the battery holder 57a. One end of the positive contact piece 60 is connected to the module circuit, and the other end is connected to the battery holder 57.
a, and contacts the positive electrode surface of the module battery 58 disposed at a. As a result, the module battery 58 and the module circuit are electrically connected via the contact pieces 59 and 60.
The positive contact piece 60 has a predetermined elastic force by bending one metal contact piece. When the label 4 is peeled off or the front cover 20 is removed by the elastic force of the positive contact piece 60, the module battery 58 jumps out of the data imprinting device 45.

The module circuit operates by receiving power from the module battery 58. The LCD 55 displays the current “year, month, day” (shooting date) to be imprinted on the photo film. As the LCD 55, a transmissive LCD that displays a transparent character such as "year, month, day" on an opaque background, such as "'00 02 01", is used. This L
The front and rear surfaces of the CD 55 are exposed by openings formed in the module case 57 and the module substrate 56, respectively. Thereby, the light guide switch 1
When photographing is performed when 0 is at the opening position, external light taken in from the light guide member 9 is projected on the photographic film as date light.

In the date module 45, the display of the LCD 55 is maintained in an invalidated state by simply supplying power to the module circuit, and the display of "year / month / day" is not performed. L
In order to enable the display of the CD 55 so that “year / month / day” is displayed, a predetermined preset code and initial date data are input as predetermined preset signals from the input unit 56a. The input unit 56a is used for the front cover 2
The front cover 20 is attached to the main body base 19 and the terminal from the external computer is connected to the input section 56a during the production of the lens-fitted film unit 2. Enter the initial date data.

When a predetermined preset code is input to the circuit on the module board 56, the display on the LCD 55 is activated. The preset code is managed by the manufacturer of the film unit with lens 2 so as not to leak outside. This prevents the display on the LCD 55 from being activated even if the power supply to the module circuit is restarted when a third party other than the manufacturer makes an illegal reuse.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. When manufacturing the film unit 2 with a lens, the main body base 1 to which the exposure device 16, the strobe device 17 and the like are assembled.
9 is loaded with a photographic film cartridge. After the photo film cartridge is loaded, the rear cover 21 is attached to the back of the main body base 19, and the bottoms of the cartridge storage chamber 25 and the film roll chamber 26 are bottom covers 21a and 22 respectively.
Closed with b. The body base 19 is sent to the date module assembling step with the photographing lens 5 facing upward, and the date module 45 is assembled with other components.

The main body base 19 to which the date module 45 is mounted is sent to a front cover assembling step, and the front cover 20 is mounted on the front surface of the main body base 19. As shown in FIG. 5, after the front cover 20 is assembled, the module battery 58 and the cover member 24 are inserted through the battery mounting opening of the front cover 20.
Is attached. Then, a terminal from an external computer is connected to the input unit 56a through the opening 20g, and a preset code and initial date data are input. At this time, the power supply from the module battery 58 to the module circuit is started via the negative contact piece 59 and the positive contact piece 60, and the display on the LCD 55 is activated. Thereafter, the label 4 is attached, and the lid member 24 is fixed. It is shipped and sold in this state.

The lens-equipped film unit 2 which has been photographed by the user until the last frame is taken out to a developing laboratory and the photographed film cartridge is taken out. on the other hand,
The used unit body 3 from which the photo film cartridge has been taken out is collected by the manufacturer of the film unit 2 with the lens. The manufacturer disassembles the collected unit body 3. For example, when the label 4 is peeled off, the lid member 24
Is detached by the adhesive force of the label 4, and the battery 58 jumps out of the opening 23 of the front cover 20 by the elastic force of the positive contact piece 60 and detaches from the date module 45. As a result, the power supply to the module circuit is cut off, and the internal circuit of the date module 45 is invalidated.

The removed date module 45 is subjected to a function test in the same manner as the exposure device 16 and the strobe device 17, and the one having no problem in its function is sent to the manufacturing process of the film unit 2 with the lens. It is assembled into a new film unit 2 with a lens.

On the other hand, in the case where the used unit body 3 is not collected by the manufacturer but is collected by a photo film refiller or the like, there is a possibility that the photo film cartridge 18 is reloaded or the date module 45 is taken out. There is. In this case, if the front cover 16 is separated from the unit main body 3 without peeling the label 4 or without peeling the label 4, the battery 58 comes off the data module 45 due to the elastic force of the plus side contact piece 60, and the display on the LCD 55 is invalid. Becomes Even if a battery is set in the data module 45 at the time of reuse, the display on the LCD 55 is invalidated.
The date is not displayed on the CD 55.

Further, since the person other than the manufacturer does not know the preset code, the display on the LCD 55 is maintained in an invalid state, and the unit body 3 cannot be reused. Similarly, the date module 45 alone cannot be separated and reused. For this reason, the unit main body 2 is not collected by anyone other than the manufacturer, and the collection rate by the manufacturer is improved.

In the above embodiment, the opening 23 and the lid member 24 are provided in the front cover 20, and the module battery 58 is detached from the date module 45 by the elastic force of the battery contact piece when the label is peeled off. Alternatively, the battery contact piece may be separated from the module battery when the label 4 is peeled off. In this case, as shown in FIGS.
Attach the plus side contact piece 61 to 0. At the time of assembly, one end of the positive contact piece 61 is brought into contact with the module circuit. Further, the other end is exposed from an opening 62 provided in the front cover 60. At the time of assembly, the contact surface at the other end is brought into contact with the positive electrode portion of the module battery 64 by the label 63. When the label 63 is peeled off, the positive contact piece 61 and the module battery 64 are separated by the elastic force of the contact piece.

In the above-described embodiment, the cover member 24 for closing the opening 23 of the front cover 20 is provided between the label 4 and the module battery 58. However, the cover member can be opened and closed and a hinge provided inside the front cover. The opening and closing to the outside of the cover may be freely performed through the portion. Alternatively, a label may be directly attached without providing a cover member, and the battery may be removed from the data imprinting apparatus by the adhesive force of the label.

In the above embodiment, a label is taken as an example of a package covering the film unit with a lens. However, a sheet material covering the entire unit body over the entire circumference may be used. Further, although the example of the film unit with a lens has been described, it may be used in another simple camera or another simple device.

[0038]

As described above, according to the film unit with lens of the present invention, the opening for exposing the battery is formed in the front cover, and a label is attached so as to cover this opening or closed with a cover member. Since the battery was held in a predetermined loading position by attaching a label from above, and the battery was taken out through the opening together with the peeling of the label, power supply to the data imprinting device was cut off. Even if a battery is attached, the display on the display unit becomes invalid, and unauthorized reuse of the data imprinting device can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a film unit with a lens embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a unit main body.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main body base.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a date module.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a method of mounting a module battery.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the module battery and the positive contact piece are separated from each other.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the module battery and the positive contact piece are in contact with each other by a label.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Film unit with lens 3 Unit body 4 Label 23 Opening 24 Cover member 45 Date module 55 LCD 58 Module battery 59 Negative contact piece 60 Positive contact piece

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A built-in data imprinting device for displaying data imprinted on a photographic film by power supply from a battery, and a unit body pre-loaded with the photographic film is covered by a front cover and a rear cover. In a film unit with a lens, which is covered with a packaging material for exterior, an opening for exposing the battery is formed in the front cover, and the battery is placed at a predetermined loading position by covering the opening with the packaging material. A film unit with a lens, wherein the power is supplied to the data imprinting device by holding and removing the battery through the opening together with the removal of the packaging material. 2. A built-in data imprinting device for displaying data imprinted on a photographic film by power supply from a battery, and a unit body pre-loaded with the photographic film is covered by a front cover and a rear cover. In a film unit with a lens, which is covered with an exterior packaging material, an opening for exposing the battery is formed in the front cover, a cover member is covered so as to cover the opening, and the packaging material is covered from above. The power supply to the data imprinting device is cut off by holding the battery in a predetermined loading position, removing the cover member together with the removal of the packaging material, and taking out the battery through the opening. Film unit with lens. 3. The battery is held in the loading position against the elastic force of a metal contact piece that presses the battery toward the opening due to the tension of the packaging material, and the metal contact piece is used when the packaging material is removed. 3. The lens-fitted film unit according to claim 1, wherein the film unit is discharged through the opening by receiving the elastic force. 4. A built-in data imprinting device for displaying data imprinted on a photographic film by power supply from a battery, and a unit body pre-loaded with the photographic film is covered by a front cover and a rear cover. In a film unit with a lens, which is covered with a packaging material for exterior, when the packaging material is covered, the metal contact piece and the battery are brought into contact by pressing the packaging material, and one of the battery contact pieces when removing the packaging material. Wherein the contact piece is separated from the battery by its elastic force, and the power supply to the data imprinting device is stopped.